RFP released for COBRA DANE radar support

The US Air Force is seeking a contractor for sustainment of the COBRA DANE radar system at Shemya, Alaska, with a request for proposal released for the work.

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Strategic Warning and Surveillance Systems Division will award a $511 million contract for the work, with the successful bidder to provide operations, maintenance, support and sustainment of the radar system for seven years. The contract will be awarded following proposals evaluation in late 2017.

COBRA DANE provides coverage for US Strategic Command's Ballistic Missile Defense System by accurately detecting and classifying objects and tracking threats. It also supports the space situational awareness mission by detecting, tracking, correlating and characterising space objects such as satellites in low-Earth orbit and space debris.

The radar was built in the 1970s to serve as an early warning system during the Cold War. The radar stands 120ft tall and has a 95ft diameter array face, and is capable of detecting objects thousands of miles away.

The Strategic Warning and Surveillance Systems Division assumed full programme management responsibility for sustainment and contracted operations in March 2015. In December 2015 Raytheon was awarded a two year sole-source contract to integrate multiple sustainment activities and improve visibility into system costs and risks, paving the way for this competitive follow-on contract.

Maj. Daniel Barker, COBRA DANE program manager, said: ‘Since the COBRA DANE Program Office stood up two years ago, we have established a cohesive sustainment plan to stabilise long-term supportability, while improving our ability to monitor the health of the system. Releasing this solicitation is the next step in ensuring the radar’s continued mission success.’